I'm an independent journalist who has covered automotive marketing since 1994- the longest consecutive tenure on the beat than any other US reporter.
From 1996 to early 2010 I was the Detroit Bureau Chief of Advertising Age, a post I had held earlier at Adweek.
I have worked as a journalist in every medium. I started my career as a new script writer for ABC's Detroit-owned radio station, WXYZ AM for the all-news' morning drive and later moved to TV news' script writing.
I covered a variety of public and private businesses as a staff reporter for Crain's Detroit Business for seven years.
I am a native New Yorker and graduate of Rider University.

Ford's Latest Social-Media Play Brings More Muscle To Its Iconic Mustang

Ford Motor Co. has tapped into social media and a mobile app to pre-launch the upcoming 2013 version of its iconic Mustang, due to arrive in showrooms in the next month or so.

The automaker and its ad partner, TeamDetroit in Dearborn, Mich., created an online Mustang Customizer siteand mobile app for fans to create their dream car, picking such things as interior/exterior colors, wheels, decals and other accessories.

Yes, other automakers let consumers do this online for their products. But Ford marketing execs maintain theirs is more engaging and fun than rivals, and each final product can be posted on Mustang’s Facebook page.

Indeed, when Ford introduced the Customizer last fall, Mustang’s Facebook page had 1.6 million fans. The fan base started growing by about 400,000 monthly since then and recently topped 3 million fans, making it the most-liked car model there. The Customizer has generated more than 4 million digital Mustangs built, with more than 22% from the mobile app.

It’s perhaps ironic that a car first introduced in 1964 before the Internet existed is the latest Ford model to tap into the newest tools of social media.

Ford’s CMO Jim Farley, group vice president of global marketing, sales and service, told Forbes that social media is the perfect way to reach Mustang customers and shoppers, who represent a broad spectrum of demographics. “Mustang customers are a community, and their car is more than just a car,” said Farley, who at 15 bought his first car, a used 1966 Mustang. “They name them, photograph them, individualize them and share this with like-minded enthusiasts.”

When it comes to demographics, the median age for Mustang buyers has been rising steadily since at least 2001, when it stood at 38. In 2011, the median age of new Mustang buyers was 51, according to data from researcher Strategic Vision.

Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, noted that the Mustang “still resonates across all generations.” He called the Mustang “a classic, iconic model that Gen Y and Millenials look at being a really cool vehicle.”

Farley said Ford has expanded the target for Mustang over the years via improved variations, including the 305 V6, range of the Boss and even factory accessories. “Generally, the audience has become broader and the passion remains the center point, with individualizing your Mustang increasing in intensity.”

Mustang debunks the auto industry’s traditional purchase funnel of awareness, consideration and ownership, said Lee Jelenic, marketing communications manager for Ford cars. He said it’s quite unique that eventual Mustang owners often see themselves in the car years before purchase. “The Customizer and social media foster that ecosystem by providing meaningful and shareable brand experiences with their dream car even if it isn’t currently parked in their garage.”

Ford’s new minute-long TV commercial for the 2013 Mustang spotlights consumers and how they visualize their dream Mustang. The ad, themed “Everyone Has an Inner Mustang,” shows how people see the car as an extension of themselves.

The spot broke Feb. 26 during the Daytona 500 broadcast. But Ford uploaded the video on YouTube Feb. 23 and gave a sneak peek Feb. 24 during a live Google+ Hangout. The commercial already tallied a respectable 450,000-plus views on YouTube by Feb. 28.

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